It's hard to see life crumble in front of your eyes, piece by piece, minute by minute, even if it's just TV series and not to mention a recent event. Yes, there is no excuse for his womanizing. Yes, she should have made her voice heard long time ago. Yes, they both need to talk to each other more. Love and trust drip away like a sand castle, with every blow of the wave, when two hearts are no longer one. We feel profoundly sad, even as bystanders. Not because we human beings like happy endings, but because we know someone is lying and one or more lives will be destroyed. Why do we do the things we do even though we know the right things to do? Maybe we will never know.
Cheers.
Don: It'll be okay. Betty: Really? How can you be so sure?
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Hello
I am still here, working, cooking, gardening and all. The baby flowers I planted back in March all died except one. Seeds sown and bulbs planted in April have started to come out which cheer me a lot. Looks like March is still too cold for gardening. Buying baby plants from the garden centre in March is just a waste of money. Well, lessons learned.
Seeing and feeling the resilience and the tenacity of what's going on in my small garden is just amazing. Life, is the most extraordinary thing in this world. The wonderfully complex machinery working like a clock and the sum always comes out to be greater than the individual parts. The scent and the vivid color from my garden not only display a wonderful collaboration of the sun, the earth and the plant, but also they in turn relax me and form nice memories in my head. When I feel low, I think of my plants striving for light by pushing out of the soil, rocks and weeds. I feel that I should at least try more to deserve their hard work for me.
Life is such an extraordinary thing.
Seeing and feeling the resilience and the tenacity of what's going on in my small garden is just amazing. Life, is the most extraordinary thing in this world. The wonderfully complex machinery working like a clock and the sum always comes out to be greater than the individual parts. The scent and the vivid color from my garden not only display a wonderful collaboration of the sun, the earth and the plant, but also they in turn relax me and form nice memories in my head. When I feel low, I think of my plants striving for light by pushing out of the soil, rocks and weeds. I feel that I should at least try more to deserve their hard work for me.
Life is such an extraordinary thing.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
I make - Pasta and beans
Anna Del Conte is not only one of my favorite food writers but also the authority when it comes to Italian cooking for me. She is often credited for introducing Italian food into England and is revered by others. I came to know her after I arrived in UK 10 years ago. Her detailed explanation of basic skills in Italian cooking and knowledge about different regional Italian cooking styles have impressed me so much when I first started reading (and cooked through) her book, Amaretto, Apple Cake and Artichokes. She is so far the only author with whom I will buy cookbooks without pictures. Her clear instructions and reliable recipes just make me come back again and again.
I learned about Pasta and beans (or pasta e fagioli) from Anna. I like pasta and I like beans. Just never occurred to me that you could combine them in a dish. And what a wonderful dish it is. The homeliness and comfort it brings when you send a spoonful of pasta and beans down your mouth. I like to serve it with toasted garlic bread to complete its down-to-earth appeal. Belissimo.
Pasta and beans (adapted from Classic Italian Recipes by Anna Del Conte)
- 350 g (or 6 links) beef sausages (optional)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tin of chopped tomato
- 1 fresh/dried chilli, chopped
- 1/4 cup of red lentil (optional)
- 1 cup of boiling water/stock (double or triple the amount if more soupy texture is desired)
- 1 tin of cooked haricot beans (or any type of white beans available)
- 1 tsp of dried basil
- up to 1 cup of small pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup of mixed vegetables, blanched (optional but some chopped cabbage or green beans are nice)
- salt and pepper to season
Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Squeeze the sausage meat out of its casing. Brown the sausage meat chunks all over. Scoop them out in a plate. Drain the oil in the pan so that only a tablespoon is left. Fry the onion, garlic and chilli in the same pan for a few minutes. Add in tomato, water and red lentils. Bring the pot to boil and turn the heat low. Cover and cook the red lentils through. It will take about 20 minutes.
While the red lentils are cooking, bring another pot of water to boil. Cook the small pasta and blanch vegetables if using. When the red lentils are ready, add in dried basil, haricot beans, cooked pasta and additional vegetables. Season with black pepper and salt. Stir in browned sausage chunks and cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
Serve with garlic bread.
I learned about Pasta and beans (or pasta e fagioli) from Anna. I like pasta and I like beans. Just never occurred to me that you could combine them in a dish. And what a wonderful dish it is. The homeliness and comfort it brings when you send a spoonful of pasta and beans down your mouth. I like to serve it with toasted garlic bread to complete its down-to-earth appeal. Belissimo.
Pasta and beans (adapted from Classic Italian Recipes by Anna Del Conte)
- 350 g (or 6 links) beef sausages (optional)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tin of chopped tomato
- 1 fresh/dried chilli, chopped
- 1/4 cup of red lentil (optional)
- 1 cup of boiling water/stock (double or triple the amount if more soupy texture is desired)
- 1 tin of cooked haricot beans (or any type of white beans available)
- 1 tsp of dried basil
- up to 1 cup of small pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup of mixed vegetables, blanched (optional but some chopped cabbage or green beans are nice)
- salt and pepper to season
Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Squeeze the sausage meat out of its casing. Brown the sausage meat chunks all over. Scoop them out in a plate. Drain the oil in the pan so that only a tablespoon is left. Fry the onion, garlic and chilli in the same pan for a few minutes. Add in tomato, water and red lentils. Bring the pot to boil and turn the heat low. Cover and cook the red lentils through. It will take about 20 minutes.
While the red lentils are cooking, bring another pot of water to boil. Cook the small pasta and blanch vegetables if using. When the red lentils are ready, add in dried basil, haricot beans, cooked pasta and additional vegetables. Season with black pepper and salt. Stir in browned sausage chunks and cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
Serve with garlic bread.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
I like - Sergei Rachmaninoff
Possibly one of most favored composers by the movie industry. I am not surprised. Every time I listen to his work, a set of images quietly surface up in my head without a fail. His music is always full of emotions, complex, layered, direct and unforgettably beautiful.
Here is his Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19: Andante (3. movement).
Here is his Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19: Andante (3. movement).
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
I bake - Quiche Lorraine
I have made four quiches in the space of two weeks, all because I wanted to try a few pie crust recipes. I have been looking for pie crust recipes without butter. I admit that all-butter pie crust is hard to beat and I still make some as occasional treats. However, I have been looking for "healthier" alternatives, namely vegetable oil based pie crust. My friend has shared her favorite pie crust recipe with me which involves egg, yogurt, oil and flour. Pretty simple, but I was wondering whether there is an even simpler version.
That's how I have ended up with this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini. No egg, just water, oil and flour. And must I say, the final baked crust is tasty and perfectly crispy on the ridges. I like it enough to incorporate this recipe as one of my regulars. One thing I may try next time is to blind baking my crust longer to crisp up the bottom crust better. Other than that, I am quite happy with this Oil based crust.
Quiche Lorraine is one of the classics (according to Hubby, it's THE quiche). This is my version which we both enjoy.
Quiche Lorraine
Quiche crust (adapted from this recipe)
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 cup of plain yogurt
Quiche filling
- 200 g of lardon/bacon, roughly chopped
- 3-4 medium-sized onions, skinned and sliced
- 2 tbsps of olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup of single cream
- 1/2 cup of grated cheese (Gruyère, Cheddar or Emmental)
Lightly oil the inside of a 25-cm round pie dish (mine is 5-cm deep).
First, make the quiche crust. Mix all crust ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to mix and knead a few times to form a ball. Wrap the dough in a cling form and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. After resting, take it out of the fridge and roll it out in a circle large enough to cover your pie dish. Prick holes with a fork at the flat surface of the covered pie dish. Blind bake the crust for 30 minutes at 200C. Let the crust cool completely before pouring the filling.
Heat a frying pan on the stove and fry the bacon/lardon bits. There is no need to put any oil at this stage as some fat will come out from the bacon bits. Fry the bacon bits until their outer edges become lightly golden brown. Drain the excess oil if needed. Scoop the bacon bits out of the pan.
In the same pan, put in onion slices and olive oil. On the medium heat, fry the onions until their volume has reduced by half. You don't want dark caramelised onions but fully cooked through, just lightly brown in the end. It will take roughly 30 minutes. Be patient. When the onions are cooked, cool them completely before adding to the crust.
In another bowl, mix eggs and cream. Add in 1/4 cup of the required cheese. This is your quiche binding agent.
When everything has cooled to room temperature, fill the quiche crust with all cooked onions and bacon bits. I like to decorate my final quiche with a few bacon bits on top so I don't use all bacon at this stage. It's your choice. Pour in the egg and cream mixture. Finally, scatter the remaining cheese (and bacon bits) on top of the quiche. Bake the quiche at 200C for 40 minutes.
Like stews, quiches taste better the next day, if you have the will power to wait.
Enjoy.
That's how I have ended up with this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini. No egg, just water, oil and flour. And must I say, the final baked crust is tasty and perfectly crispy on the ridges. I like it enough to incorporate this recipe as one of my regulars. One thing I may try next time is to blind baking my crust longer to crisp up the bottom crust better. Other than that, I am quite happy with this Oil based crust.
Quiche Lorraine is one of the classics (according to Hubby, it's THE quiche). This is my version which we both enjoy.
Quiche Lorraine
Quiche crust (adapted from this recipe)
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 cup of plain yogurt
Quiche filling
- 200 g of lardon/bacon, roughly chopped
- 3-4 medium-sized onions, skinned and sliced
- 2 tbsps of olive oil
- pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup of single cream
- 1/2 cup of grated cheese (Gruyère, Cheddar or Emmental)
Lightly oil the inside of a 25-cm round pie dish (mine is 5-cm deep).
First, make the quiche crust. Mix all crust ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to mix and knead a few times to form a ball. Wrap the dough in a cling form and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. After resting, take it out of the fridge and roll it out in a circle large enough to cover your pie dish. Prick holes with a fork at the flat surface of the covered pie dish. Blind bake the crust for 30 minutes at 200C. Let the crust cool completely before pouring the filling.
Heat a frying pan on the stove and fry the bacon/lardon bits. There is no need to put any oil at this stage as some fat will come out from the bacon bits. Fry the bacon bits until their outer edges become lightly golden brown. Drain the excess oil if needed. Scoop the bacon bits out of the pan.
In the same pan, put in onion slices and olive oil. On the medium heat, fry the onions until their volume has reduced by half. You don't want dark caramelised onions but fully cooked through, just lightly brown in the end. It will take roughly 30 minutes. Be patient. When the onions are cooked, cool them completely before adding to the crust.
In another bowl, mix eggs and cream. Add in 1/4 cup of the required cheese. This is your quiche binding agent.
When everything has cooled to room temperature, fill the quiche crust with all cooked onions and bacon bits. I like to decorate my final quiche with a few bacon bits on top so I don't use all bacon at this stage. It's your choice. Pour in the egg and cream mixture. Finally, scatter the remaining cheese (and bacon bits) on top of the quiche. Bake the quiche at 200C for 40 minutes.
Like stews, quiches taste better the next day, if you have the will power to wait.
Enjoy.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
I cook - grilled prawns with curry leek sauce and pilau sultana rice
I love curry, Indian curry in particular. I am very impressed by the diversity of spices and the art of combining them each time I go to a curry restaurant here. I often thought that the gustiness of Indian curry spice suits meat much better than with seafood. However, there is one particular prawn curry dish I like and make often. I guess it's a westernised curry dish but I like the simplicity and the flavor of it. It has just three components in the curry sauce, leeks, coconut cream and curry powder. The smoothness of the cream provides a very interesting contrast to the spiciness of the curry powder which is in turn complemented by the sweetness of the softened leeks. The whole dish is full of contrast and yet everything exists in a curious harmony. The trick is not to add too much curry powder so as to maintain the intricate balance between the cream and the curry.
If I were to serve it in a dinner party, I would probably use very large prawns or queen scallops to have the wow factor. I am quite happy with (mini) tiger prawns or white fish fillets for a Saturday night homely meal. I hope you like it as much as we do.
Grilled Prawns with Curry Leek Sauce and Pilau Sultana Rice
Serves 2
- 250 g raw prawns
- cajun spice (or curry powder)
- 3 leeks, sliced
- 2 tbsps Olive oil
- 1 cup coconut milk/cream (or fresh cream)
- 1-2 tsp Indian curry powder
- salt
Pilau Sultana Rice
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leave
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 cups of basmati rice
- 2 1/4 cups of water
- 1/2 cup of sultana
- 1/2 cup of garden peas (optional)
Clean and de-vein the prawns. Dry the prawns thoroughly with paper towels. Dust over prawns the Cajun spice (or curry powder) and rest them in the fridge.
To make the curry sauce, soften the leeks in a pan of olive oil. You don't want to brown them but to soften them on medium heat. Stir them occasionally and cover the lid to steam them through. The leeks are ready when they look transparent and their volume has reduced by at least a third. It will take 15-20 minutes.
When the leeks are softened, put in curry powder. Stir for a few seconds and then add in coconut or fresh cream. Bring to boil and lower the heat to occasional bubbles coming from the side of the pot. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes or until it thickens a bit. When the sauce has reached it consistency you like, taste it and season with salt. The sauce is ready.
To prepare the pilau rice, heat another pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Put in all spices at once and heat the spices until you hear seeds pop (or smell the aroma). At this stage, stir in the Basmati rice and coat each grain with the flavored oil. Scatter the sultana on top of the rice and pour in water (enjoy the sizzling sound and the steam). Put the lid on and bring the pot to active boiling on high heat. Once the rice pot starts to boil, bring the heat down to the lowest setting, keeping the lid on for 12-15 minutes (first stage of cooking). After the first stage of cooking is completed, scatter over the cooked rice with garden peas (you could stir through the rice mixture at this stage if you wish). Put the lid back on, keep it on low heat for another 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Keep the lid on and let the rice steamed for at least 15 minutes (second stage of cooking). Now your rice is ready after fluffing it through with your spatula.
Right before everybody is ready to eat, heat a pan with oil for 2 minutes to grill the prawns. You can use oven for this purpose. Don't over cook the prawns. Get them out of the pan when they turn pink.
To serve, put the pilau rice on one side of the plate. Scoop the curry sauce next to the rice and arrange grilled prawns on top of the sauce.
If I were to serve it in a dinner party, I would probably use very large prawns or queen scallops to have the wow factor. I am quite happy with (mini) tiger prawns or white fish fillets for a Saturday night homely meal. I hope you like it as much as we do.
Grilled Prawns with Curry Leek Sauce and Pilau Sultana Rice
Serves 2
- 250 g raw prawns
- cajun spice (or curry powder)
- 3 leeks, sliced
- 2 tbsps Olive oil
- 1 cup coconut milk/cream (or fresh cream)
- 1-2 tsp Indian curry powder
- salt
Pilau Sultana Rice
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leave
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 cups of basmati rice
- 2 1/4 cups of water
- 1/2 cup of sultana
- 1/2 cup of garden peas (optional)
Clean and de-vein the prawns. Dry the prawns thoroughly with paper towels. Dust over prawns the Cajun spice (or curry powder) and rest them in the fridge.
To make the curry sauce, soften the leeks in a pan of olive oil. You don't want to brown them but to soften them on medium heat. Stir them occasionally and cover the lid to steam them through. The leeks are ready when they look transparent and their volume has reduced by at least a third. It will take 15-20 minutes.
When the leeks are softened, put in curry powder. Stir for a few seconds and then add in coconut or fresh cream. Bring to boil and lower the heat to occasional bubbles coming from the side of the pot. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes or until it thickens a bit. When the sauce has reached it consistency you like, taste it and season with salt. The sauce is ready.
To prepare the pilau rice, heat another pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Put in all spices at once and heat the spices until you hear seeds pop (or smell the aroma). At this stage, stir in the Basmati rice and coat each grain with the flavored oil. Scatter the sultana on top of the rice and pour in water (enjoy the sizzling sound and the steam). Put the lid on and bring the pot to active boiling on high heat. Once the rice pot starts to boil, bring the heat down to the lowest setting, keeping the lid on for 12-15 minutes (first stage of cooking). After the first stage of cooking is completed, scatter over the cooked rice with garden peas (you could stir through the rice mixture at this stage if you wish). Put the lid back on, keep it on low heat for another 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Keep the lid on and let the rice steamed for at least 15 minutes (second stage of cooking). Now your rice is ready after fluffing it through with your spatula.
Right before everybody is ready to eat, heat a pan with oil for 2 minutes to grill the prawns. You can use oven for this purpose. Don't over cook the prawns. Get them out of the pan when they turn pink.
To serve, put the pilau rice on one side of the plate. Scoop the curry sauce next to the rice and arrange grilled prawns on top of the sauce.
Monday, 4 April 2011
I make - Eton Mess
Eton Mess, tasted far better than the sound of its name, is a traditional English dessert made of strawberries, softly whipped cream and crushed meringue. Simple, straightforward and satisfyingly delicious. The key is to only whip the cream softly so that it still flows slowly when tilted. Strawberries are traditionally used but raspberries or other summer berries should work equally well. I use Nigella's recipe as a basis and adapt each time depending on the mood and available fruit.
Eton Mess (adapted from this recipe)
- Strawberries, washed, hulled and cut-up
- Crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
- Caster sugar (optional)
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla pod (optional)
- Meringue pieces
No specific amount given here because it's such a versatile and adaptable dessert. The general procedure is to first macerate strawberry chunks with Crème de cassis and sugar (if desired). In the mean time, softly whip the cream until it's aerated but not stiff. Add the vanilla to the cream before whipping if used.
Right before serving, crush up the meringue pieces into the whipped cream. Don't over crush the meringue. You want to have a mixture of medium and small chunks in the whipped cream. Scoop in the macerated strawberries. Be careful not to mix too much juice in. Fold the mixture gently with a rubber spatula. Serve in your prettiest dessert glasses.
Eton Mess (adapted from this recipe)
- Strawberries, washed, hulled and cut-up
- Crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
- Caster sugar (optional)
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla pod (optional)
- Meringue pieces
No specific amount given here because it's such a versatile and adaptable dessert. The general procedure is to first macerate strawberry chunks with Crème de cassis and sugar (if desired). In the mean time, softly whip the cream until it's aerated but not stiff. Add the vanilla to the cream before whipping if used.
Right before serving, crush up the meringue pieces into the whipped cream. Don't over crush the meringue. You want to have a mixture of medium and small chunks in the whipped cream. Scoop in the macerated strawberries. Be careful not to mix too much juice in. Fold the mixture gently with a rubber spatula. Serve in your prettiest dessert glasses.
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